Sarah Jessica Parker Breaks Silence With Tribute to Willie Garson

Actor Willie Garson passed away from pancreatic cancer this week at the age of 57. Garson was known for playing Stanford Blatch, the best friend of Carrie Bradshaw, on Sex and the City. Naturally, this led to Garson developing a friendship with Sarah Jessica Parker—one that had lasted decades. After a few days of silence, Parker posted a tribute to Garson on her Instagram, talking about their time together. Read on to hear what Sarah Jessica Parker said about her friendship with Willie Garson’s friendship.

1. They Met Before Sex and the City

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Many assumed that Parker and Garson met on the set of Sex and the City. However, they had actually met prior, and in an unusual way. According to Deadline, Parker and Garson first met on a blind date, and while they were never romantically involved, they retained their friendship.

2. They Had Fun On and Off Set

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Garson told Entertainment Weekly working with Parker was a lot of fun. "If [you use] people who've been friends for 20 years, it really reads on the screen," he explained. "Mostly it was just a lot of laughing. I, inwardly and outwardly, certainly am very different from the character. So it was a lot of us laughing. We could barely make it through scenes." Garson enjoyed working with Parker so much, he reprised his role in the Sex and the City reboot that will air later on HBO Max.

3. They Talked Almost Every Day

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Garson and Parker stayed closely in touch after Sex and the City wrapped. “As you probably know, Sarah Jessica and I were friends for 10 years before the show. And we’re still the closest of friends,” Garson told Us Weekly in June. “We talk almost every day.” In Parker’s Instagram tribute, she described her friendship with Garson as, “A real friendship that allowed for secrets, adventure, a shared professional family, truth, concerts, road trips, meals, late night phone calls, a mutual devotion to parenthood and all the heartaches and joy that accompany, triumphs, disappointments, fear, rage and years spent on sets (most especially Carrie's apartment) and laughing late into the night as both Stanford and Carrie and Willie and SJ.” Parker revealed that she was still in contact with Garson in his final days, and revealed that his last words to her were “Great bangles all around.”

4. What is Pancreatic Cancer?

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“Your pancreas, tucked away behind your stomach, is an inconspicuous organ tirelessly producing essential enzymes and hormones your body needs for digestion, and to regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells form in the tissues of the organ, disrupting its necessary functions,” says ETNT Health.

5. How to Stay Healthy

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Signs of pancreatic cancer can be weight loss or yellow skin. “Any number of health issues can be the cause of your stomach aches or pain. And more likely than not, your upset stomach is due to a more mundane, garden-variety cause. If abdominal pain persists, however, please see your doctor,” says ETNT Health.